Tuesday, July 28, 2009

Wentbridge

He bare a launsgay in his honde,
And a man ledde his male,
And reden with a lyght songe
Unto Bernsydale.

But at Wentbrydge ther was a wrastelyng,
And there taryed was he,
And there was all the best yemen
Of all the west countree.

Stanza 540 Geste.

It was Francis James Child, 1825-96, born in Boston Massachusetts who amended the place of Wentbridge to "he went at a bridge" Child includes this alteration in his textual note, III, 79.

This is obviously an attempt to edit the text by a compositor who did not know Wentbridge.

Notice the late date.


(Rochester)